Musical instrument



De 13, 1955 w. KRATT ETAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 21. 1952 INVENTORS 7 1 17 I z'azm Kmtb BY Emi/Jfns M'Z Z'ATToRNEY RN mm United States Patent MUSICAL INSTRUMENT William Kratt, Union, and Emil J. Ens, Newark, N. 1., assignors to Wm. Kratt Co., Union, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 21, 1952, Serial No. 299,986

Claims. (Cl. 84-375) This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to instruments of the reed type.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved musicalinstrument of the reed type which is provided with a single mouthpiece and a multiple key actuated valve mechanism for directing air to selected reeds, wherein the individual valves are directly biased in an improved manner, to their closed position.

Another object of this invention is to provide in an instrument of the character described, improved means for pivotally mounting the individual valves.

A further object of this invention is to provide in an instrument of the character described, improved means for mounting the reed plate to provide segregated chambers within the instrument for the several vibratory reeds.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in an instrument of the character described, a grille plate which also serves tohold the several key operated valves in proper position, to frame the exposed keys and to cooperate with resilient means for directly biasing the valves to their closed positions.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in an instrument of the character described, a flat casing including a hollow body portion within which is located a reed plate, a walled member having grille portions and an opening for'exposing the key portions of a valve mechanism, the outer surface of the hollow body portion including means for locating the individual valves of said mechanism and preventing lateral movement of the valves, the walled member having a portion operativ'ely located with respect to the valve locating means to allow pivotal movement of the valves.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in an instrument of the character described, improved valve members formed of molded material, which are adapted tob'e freely mounted forpivoted movement without pivot I rodsand in segregated relation to adjacent members.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an instrument of the character described, which is made up of a minimum number of parts, such parts being easily and quickly assembled and adapted for efiicient operation.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the embodiment hereinafter described and of'which the scope" of invention will be indicated in the claims following.

in the drawing;

Fig. 1 isa top plan View of a musical instrument embodying the invention, with parts cut away and parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial, longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

"ice

Fig. 5 is a partial, longitudinal sectional view of the horn end of the instrument.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2', 1O designates a musical instrument embodying the invention. The same comprises a flat, somewhat rectangular shaped casing 11 having a mouthpiece 12 extending from one end thereof and a simulated horn 13, extend-' ing from the other end thereof.

The casing 11 is made up essentially of a hollow bottom member 14 which is closed off by a fiat plate 15 to provide a hollow interior chamber 16 therebetween; and a dished member 17 mounted on the outer surface of plate 15. The members 14, 17 and plate 15 may be formed of molded plastic or the like, plate 15 having a peripheral edge bead 18 to facilitate assembly of the parts and securement thereof by means of solvent, cement or the like.

Members 14, 17' are formed with integral, tapering semi-cylindrical portions 19, 19a which mate to form mouthpiece 12. The end wall 20 of member 17 is continuous from side to side whereas end wall 20a of the member 14 is formed with a semi-cylindrical opening 21 which allows communication between the mouthpiece 12 and the chamber 16. The plate 15 includes an extension 15a which is disposed between the mating halves of horn 13; The end wall 20b is continuous from side to side while end wall 20c is formed with an opening 17a which allows communication between the chamber lying between plate 15 and member 17 and the upper portion of horn 13, and by way of an opening 15b in extension 16a, with the lower portion of horn 13. The end wall 13a of the horn is formed with openings 13b which communicate with the upper and lower portions thereof.

The plate 15 has extending from the lower surface a pair of longitudinal ribs 22 and transverse ribs 23, thus forming successive compartments 24. A conventional reed plate 25, having successive pairs of blow and draw reeds 27, 28 is mounted on the outer edges of the ribs by tits 26, locating each pair of reeds opposite a compart'ment 24. The plate 15' is also formed with a series of spaced openings 29, each opening being located in registry with a compartment or chamber 24.

On the outer surface of plate 15 and at the midsection thereof, is an integral, longitudinally extending rib 30 whose upper edge is formed with successive, spaced, rectangular cut out portions 31. The rib 30 provides mounting and locating means for a plurality of similar, molded valve members, generally indicated at 32.

Valve members 32 each comprise a flat valve plate portion 33, a hollow key portion 34 and a pivot portion 35 intermediate the plate and key portions. The key portion comprises a substantially rectangular top wall 36 with downwardly extending side walls 37 which extend forwardly to form pivot portion 35. The forward portions of side walls 37 are formed with aligned inverted V-shaped notches 38. The forward, downwardly extending wall of pivot portion 35 is formed with a reentrant portion 39 and an opening 40 therein, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. On the upper surface of the plate portion 33 and at the forward end thereof, are formed a set of upstanding short pins 41, for the purpose hereinafter appearmg.

The dished member 17 is formed along one longitudinal portion thereof with openings 42 to provide a grille- Work' opposite openings 29 in plate 15. The member 17 is further formed along another longitudinal portion thereof, with an elongated, rectangular shaped opening 43 which is defined by a downwardly extending flange 44 on its forward edge, such flange being located opposite rib 30 and in spaced relation thereto, and a downwardly extending flange 45 on its rear edge.

The valve members 32 are adapted to be positioned on rib 30 for pivotal movement, with valve plate portions 33 overlying the openings 29 in plate a paper gasket 46 being secured to the upper face of plate 15 and having openings registering with openings 29. The notched portions 38 on the valve members engage or straddle the rib 30 with the projections 31a thereof disposed between the side walls 37 of the valve members.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 3, that the cutout portions 31 on rib 30 are adapted to receive the opposed wall portions of a pair of adjacent valve members 32, yet the projections 31 locate each member so as to prevent lateral movement thereof and thus avoid inadvertent contact between adjacent valve members during actuation thereof.

The flange 44 on member 17, being located over the intermediate pivot portions of the valve members, allows the same to be freely pivoted on rib 30, yet prevents upward movement thereof. The distance between fianges 44, 45 is such as to allow the key portions 34 to project upwardly therethrough, since the key portions are angularly disposed relative to plate portions 33, as shown,

in Fig. 2.

The valve plate portion of each valve member is positively biased against gasket 46 to normally close openings 29, by means of a V-shaped spring member 47 disposed on its side with one leg thereof contacting the upper surface of the valve plate portion and positioned by means of pins 41 engaging the forward end of the leg and the apex of the spring member being received in the opening 40. This leaves the other leg of the spring member abutting against the inner surface of the member 17 at the grille portion thereof. A porous, sound permeable sheet 48 is interposed between the grillwork 42 and the upper leg of the spring members 47. The action of the spring members raises the key portions of the valve members to their projected positions through opening 43.

When using the instrument 10, air passes through the interior chamber 16 by way of mouthpiece 12 and opening 21, by either blowing or drawing on the mouthpiece. The movement of the air across the reed plate will set into vibration only those reeds where a valve member 32 is depressed to uncover the corresponding opening 29, thereby vibrating the blow or draw reed of the corresponding compartment 24. By depressing selected keys 36 in predetermined sequence while blowing or drawing, a predetermined combination of notes may be played.

It is apparent that air may be drawn into the instrument by way of the grille portion of member 17 through the porous sheet 48 and by way of the born 13 through openings 13b, 15b and 17a. The emitted vibrations may travel the same path.

It will be apparent that the valve mechanism embodied in the instrument of the invention, is of simple construction and lends itself to quick and ready assembly with the casing members in the absence of pivot rods and the like.

The direct biasing of the valve members avoids air leaks and insures optimum operation and performance.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a musical instrument in which the several objects of the invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above described invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A musical instrument comprising a chambered body having opposed upper and lower walls and a wall parallel and intermediate said upper and lower walls, a mouthpiece on said body communicating with the chamber formed between said lower and intermediate walls, a reed plate fixed to the underside of said intermediate wall, said reed plate comprising longitudinally spaced reeds, means located between said plate and said intermediate wall forming longitudinally spaced reed chambers respectively associated with said reeds, said intermediate wall being formed with longitudinally spaced openings respectively communicating with said reed chambers, valve means pivotally mounted on the upper surface of said intermediate wall, said valve means comprising a plurality of valve members, each member including a valve plate portion overlying an opening in said intermediate wall and a key portion extending rearwardly of said plate portion, said upper wall being formed with an elongated, longitudinally extending opening, the key portions of said valve means being disposed in side by side relation and projecting upwardly through the opening in said upper wall, and resilient means located between the plate portions of each valve means and an opposed portion of said upper wall for biasing said valve means to closed position.

2. A musical instrument as in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a V-shaped spring, each of said valve plate portions including means on the upper surface thereof for locating one end of the outer arm of said spring and for locating the apex portion of said spring.

3. A musical instrument comprising a chambered hollow body having a wall formed with longitudinally spaced apertures located intermediate the opposite outer walls thereof, a reed plate mounted on one side of said intermediate wall, air inlet means on said body, a valve member for each aperture in said intermediate wall,

means on the other side of said intermediate wall for pivotally mounting each valve member, one of said outer walls having an elongated opening, each of said valve members including a key portion projecting through said opening, spring means for each valve member, each spring means comprising a first portion directly engaging the valve member and in alignment with the aperture in said intermediate wall associated therewith and a second portion aligned with said first portion and directly abutting the inner surface of said one outer wall forwardly of the opening therein.

4. A musical instrument as in claim 3 wherein the mounting means on said intermediate wall comprises an elongated rib formed with longitudinally spaced upwardly extending projections, each of said valve members including means for engaging a projection associated therewith for locating said valve members and preventing lateral movement thereof.

5. A musical instrument as in claim 4 wherein said one outer wall includes a downwardly extending longitudinal flange aligned with the rib on said intermediate wall for receiving intermediate portions of said valve members therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 162,671 Magnus Mar. 27, 1951 392,405 Braun Nov. 6, 1888 894,778 Hohner July 28, 1908 1,835,892 Minteer Dec. 8, 1931 1,890,830 Schlicht Dec. 13, 1932 2,228,058 Lederfine Jan. 7, 1941 2,279,143 Lohr Apr. 7, 1942 2,348,830 Magnus May 16, 1944 2,467,761 Magnus Apr. 19, 1949 2,472,681 Proll June 7, 1949 2,519,306 Zimmerman Aug. 15, 1950 

